As car manufacturers continue to discover the benefits of 3D printing for augmented manufacturing (assembly tools – jigs and fixtures) and alternative manufacturing (final end use parts), it seems like a good time to get some updates on a true 3D printed automotive phenomenon – the URBEE.

Frame for the URBEE, produced on the FDM-based Fortus 900mc 3D Production System from Stratasys

We recently caught up with Jim Kor, the creator of this amazing piece of automotive engineering which was produced using Stratasys Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) technology. Developed by the Canadian firm KOR Ecologic, the URBEE came, saw and conquered Europe as it tooled around the 3D PrintShow last November. First in London, then in Paris, Kor demonstrated his breakthrough, fuel-saving 3D printed vehicle for additive manufacturing enthusiasts and attentive media.

Proving that a 3D printed car, engineered from the ground up for maximum fuel efficiency, can be a viable alternative to conventional vehicles, the URBEE roared to life (actually it is very quiet) with several dozen pieces manufactured on the FDM-based Fortus 900mc 3D Production System.

A refined version of the car, naturally called the URBEE 2, is expected to make a cross-country (San Francisco to New York) journey on just 10 gallons of biofuel! Learn more about this forward-moving concept and smart manufacturing in this exclusive video interview with Jim Kor, filmed in London at the 3D PrintShow.